About this eBook

PREFACE The outcome of the race between world food production and population will largely be determined in the tropics where most of the world's undernourished people live. There aredhree avenues for increasing food production in the tropics, i increasing yields per unit area in presently cultivated regions, ii opening new lands to cultivation, and iii expanding irrigated land. The first two require the alleviation or elimination of soil constraints, 'while the third eliminates water stress as the main constraint limiting srop produc tion. All the three alternatives are needed. According to FAO es timates. increasing yields on lands already in use is not sufficient, and additional land must be incorporated into agriculture to ac complish this goal. Making efficient use of acid and alkali soils is one of the most important option to achieve the goal. Rare, indeed, would be a soil that is in perfect physical conditions for all possible uses. Soil may need conditioning to prevent soil washing or blowing, to improve air water relations, to improve soil drainage, to overcome water repellency, to induce water repellency for water harvesting, to prevent surface sealing and improve seed germination, to retard evaporation of soil moisture besides improving moisture storage and availability. Use of calcium providing amend ment is a must for amelioration of alkali soils which are known for high saturation of sodium on their exchange complex as well as for their poor physical conditions. The acid soils represent the largest reserve available for meeting m ankind s future needs for food, fibres and other plant products. Liming of acid soil is essential to over come aluminium and other toxicities and trace element deficiencies r ----------------------------------------------------------to restore the productivity of acid soils. This book provides concise information on important soil con ditioners and amendments viz. gypsum, sulphur, pyrite, organic materials and lime. Some industrial wastes which become pollutant could also be efficiently utilized for amelioration of alkali and acid soils. The object of the book is to provide the latest research findings in a consise from so that scientist and planners can help the farmers to make best use of their money invested on the use of soil con ditioners and amendments for restoring soil productivity. We hope that this book will prove immensely useful for the scientist, agriculturists and planners. Inspite of our best efforts, we do not claim that the information given is exhaustive. We, therefore, crave the omissions and errors in which we must have fallen inadvertently and solicit their valued suggestions towards improving the contents. L. L. Somani Professor Soils Rajasthan College of Agriculture Udaipur 313001

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